Aaron Martinez is the chef de cuisine at Commis in Oakland, where he cooks alongside chef-owner James Syhabout. Prior to his current role, he was the chef de cuisine at Quince under Michael Tusk; he’s also cooked at In de Wulf in Belgium and Addison in San Diego.

As Martinez starts to flirt with the idea of his own restaurant, he’s going to start holding pop-up dinners. His first one takes place Monday, April 28 at 20th Century Cafe in San Francisco. It’s named Bolete — a tip of the cap to local ingredients, he says — and it will consist of a five-course dinner ($75).

He notes that pop-ups are great use of a Monday night, and something that both Syhabout and Tusk have encouraged.

“You know, if you’re a chef de cuisine at a restaurant, it’s a good way to get your name out, maybe meet potential investors who might want to taste your food, get some buzz,” Martinez says, adding that it’s also a way for him to start to understand what it’s like owning his own business.

And at 20th Century Cafe, there’s a pop-up success story right across the street: Rich Table, whose chefs (Sarah and Evan Rich) hosted a very successful pop-up series, Chefs Night Off, in the months leading up to their eventual opening.

On the creative side, Commis is more of a collaboration with Syhabout; the pop-up dinner will be continuation of that same style — albeit in Martinez’s own voice:

“Very market driven, what we get at the market, and what’s local. Everyone does that but it’s the style,” he says, rattling off the spring ingredients coming in this week — asparagus, cabbages, elderflowers, strawberries — before pausing and thoughtfully adding another quick bit about his style: “To me, it’s all been done before. It’s how you do it.”

Tickets for the two seatings are available here; wines will be available as well, but not as pairings this time around.